


Fortunes

by Notmarysue



Category: Black Friday - Team StarKid, The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals - Team StarKid
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Foreshadowing, Fortune Cookies, Fortune Telling, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Mentor/Protégé, Mentor/Sidekick, P.I.E.P, PIEP - Freeform, Pre-Canon, black and white
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:22:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26162578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notmarysue/pseuds/Notmarysue
Summary: As John and Wilbur share one last meal together before Wilbur's scheduled mission to the Black and White, John can't shake the feeling that someone is trying to send him a warning.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	Fortunes

Wilbur Cross had never been one for parties. He found them tiresome, all those loud, drunk people searching to be entertained. But everyone at P.I.E.P seemed very insistent that he do something, anything, to celebrate the eve of his latest mission. After all, it wasn’t everyday that mankind stepped into the land of Gods. So, after what seemed like way more back and forth than was necessary, he managed to come with a plan that seemed acceptable to his over involved superiors. One quiet meal at a local Chinese restaurant with a member of his team he actually liked, Private John McNamara.

If Wilbur had use one word to describe John McNamara he would probably go with ‘extrinsic’. If he had to use one word and was feeling a little less generous, he might even go with ‘strange’. He’d always believed in the forces they hunted a little too much. Every bit of a folklore and myth drew him in like a moth to the flame, and while his eagerness was refreshing compared to the cynicism of some of the other recruits, he often ended up chasing leads that weren’t there while being vulnerable to those that were. Still, when it came to actual field work, John had been one of his best students and though he was long passed the need for mentoring he remained pleasant company.

“You know what I don’t get?” Asked Wilbur as he finished his last mouthful of rice.

“No, what?” John replied as he struggled with his chopsticks. He’d been attempting to pick up the same piece of pork for about ten minutes and been offered a knife and fork twice, but his stubbornness kept winning out. Eventually, everyone around him gave up and decided to leave him to it.

“How something can be ‘behind’ reality. Like I can just about wrap my head around this alternate dimensions, parallel universes thing. Every decision that makes sends ripples through time, all paths diverge into new worlds, and blattity blattity bla, but that’s still, you know, reality. If a place exists and they can send me off to visit it, doesn’t that make it reality?”

“I don’t claim to know the understand side of things, Sir.”

“What have I said about calling me Sir, John?” He said, rolling his eyes.

“That it’s not necessary?”

“Exactly.” He nodded. “My name is Wilbur, or even Will.”

“Right. Of course. Sorry Sir, I mean…Will.”

“Don’t worry, John. We’ll get there.” He sighed. He smiled as a waitress came over and placed the bill on the table along with two fortune cookies. “This is my favourite part.” He smirked.  
“The bill?” John raised an eyebrow.

“No, moron, the cookies.” Wilbur chuckled. He reached forwards and grabbed one, snapping it clean in half. “They’re always so vague. I can’t help but love them. Like this one, ‘Big changes are afoot. Be ready to make new friends’. It’s brilliant. Catches your attention in the moment, can be used in any situation, but ultimately contains nothing of substance whatsoever. Kinda like a fortune cookie itself now that I think about it.” 

“I suppose so, yes.” John laughed.

“Go on, open yours.”

“Hang on, I’m nearly done.”

“You’re never getting pork, John. Just use your hands if you’re that desperate for it.”

John sighed and picked up the pork with his hands. After finishing it, he cautiously picked up the fortune cookie and took a glance up at Wilbur. Wilbur smiled and gave a little nod of encouragement. John smiled back awkwardly and split open the cookie, taking out the crumb covered piece paper. After giving it a little shake, he started to silently read. His face dropped as the text began to sink in.

“What is it?” Wilbur asked as he snacked on his cookie.

“Nothing.” John gulped and shook his head. “I-it’s nothing.”

“Nothing doesn’t get you all pale like that. Come on, what’s up?”

“I…I think this fortune cookie is trying to tell me something.”

“Why yes, John, that does tend to be the point.” Wilbur rolled his eyes.

“You know what I mean.” John scowled. Wilbur waved his hand, beckoning John to hand the slip of paper over. John cautiously obeyed and Wilbur began to read.  
“’Beware those closest to you, lest misfortune befall you both’. That’s odd. Normally these things are annoyingly optimistic. Maybe they’re trying to go for a more mysterious feel with some these new ones. See if they can draw that dark, brooding crowd in.” 

“But the use of a specific amount doesn’t sit right with me. Like you said, they’re normally so vague. But ‘you both’, maybe both of us.”

“Whoever wrote these things doesn’t know us, John. It’s just random selection. Pure chance. And I don’t mean that in a fate kind of way. If there’s one thing that sure ain’t real, it’s fate.”

“But-“

“I mean just look around you. Do you see how many of these tables are set out for a party of two?”

“A lot.”

“So…” Wilbur prompted.

“The cookies are sealed. They couldn’t have known for sure this would actually end up with a pair. The fact that it actually ended up with two people, that it ended up with us, is-“

“Pure happenstance.” 

“I don’t know. I just…feel a little uneasy is all. Just with you going into the black and white and everything. For the last few weeks, I’ve had this unshakable feeling that something's going to go wrong.” John explained.  
“You think I’m going to die in there?” Asked Wilbur.

“No.” John shook his head. “No, I don’t think you’re going to die. I think something much worse is going to open. And now with this fortune cookie going on about misfortune it…look I know it sounds stupid but…I don’t want you to go. I think it’s a bad idea. I think once you walk through that portal, nothing will ever be the same again.”

“Look,” Wilbur sighed and placed down the slip of paper. He gave John a soft, patient look that never failed to calm him down. “I didn’t want have to do this tonight, but you leave me with no choice. It’s mentoring time.”

“Sir-“ John started before he noticed giving him a mild glare. “Will, I don’t need mentoring.” He smirked.

“Well clearly you do, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now. Now, in this world and possibly even beyond it, there are dark mystical forces that seek to do us real harm, forces that our organisation works tirelessly to understand and fight against. And then also in this world, though probably not so much beyond it, there’s meaningless, mass-produced nonsense that the uninitiated like to engage with as fact. Fortune cookies are?”

“Mass produced nonsense?” 

“Exactly. Listen, I know you’re scared. To be honest, I’m scared too. We’re doing something that’s never been done before. But that’s what we do. We do things because nobody else even thinks to do them. We’ve fought things that nobody else knows exists, seen things that nobody has even imagined. Whatever lays behind that portal, it can’t be any scarier than what we’ve already faced.”

“You think so?” Asked John.

“Never been wrong yet. Don’t plan on being wrong any time soon.” Wilbur winked. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He took it out and read the text before putting it back in his pocket. “Looks like preparation finished ahead of schedule. Seems they’re ready for me.”

“Does it have to be now?”

“Yes, John, it has to be now. These things are sensitive. Which I guess means you’re stuck with the bill. I’ll pay you when I see you next. I’d ask you to come see me off but it’s a very closed off affair. Authorised personnel only. You understand.”

“Of course.” John nodded. “Just promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I promise. Don’t worry, John. One way or another, I always come back.”


End file.
